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Friday, 15 May 2015

Citing
presidential order, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has directed the
management of LADOL Integrated Logistics to relocate its ongoing
$500million fabrication and integrated yards project in Takwa Bay within
Apapa pilotage area in Lagos State to Aggey, Bayelsa State.

But
the company’s management described the directive as “shocking’’ and out
of tone with the agreement it entered into with its technical partners
and the federal government.

The one paragraph
letter was dated April 27, 2015, and signed by NPA’s General Manager
(Capital Project), A.R. Mohammed, on behalf of the Managing Director.

It
was titled: “Re: Joint Venture Partnership with Samsung Heavy
Industries for the USD$500 Million development of fabrication and
integration yards for EGINA and Future Projects”.

The letter read: “Please,
be informed that Mr President has via PRESS/S9/MT/212 of April 20, 2015
approved that the FPSO (Floating Production Storage & Offloading)
project can be located at Agge, Bayelsa State when the facilities to
handle such operations are developed. In addition, the project can be
conveniently located at any dedicated Oil and Gas Terminal”.

Meanwhile, the
President, according to NPA, has approved that henceforth; all oil and
gas related cargoes must be handled only at the designated terminals in
Onne, Warri and Calabar ports.

The directives signed on
behalf of NPA Managing Director by General Manager (M&O), A.A. Goje,
said: “In view of this, vessels coming to Nigeria with oil & gas
related cargo excluding petroleum products are advised to first go to
the appropriate NPA concessioned terminals to be cleared by customs and
other relevant authorities, terminal operators, shipping lines among
others”.

The directive also advised owners of such vessels to
pay necessary dues/charges and obtain releases “before proceeding to
locations for final discharge, including those meant for LADOL.

Reacting
to the development, yesterday, the Managing Director of LADOL, Dr. Amy
Jadesimi said the company was shocked by the development.

She
explained that it would send wrong signals to private investors and
foreign technical partners, pointing out that a lot of resources have
been deployed to put the facilities in place.